I must confess, I am very fond of going to a salon or spa to relax and unwind, it is my ultimate guilty pleasure. I love the salons that echo peace, tranquillity and a safe haven to unwind and distress and to top it all off they make you feel wonderful when you leave. To me that is the epitome of luxury and being spoilt – even a wax or laser hair treatment makes you feel better (once it’s finished) and you feel refreshed and ready to take on the world.

The salon I visited for my peel was Ageless Faces, and they are a quaint but luxurious skin clinic located in Claremont, Cape Town who specialise in innovative anti-ageing treatments in order to prolong the need to go for cosmetic surgery apart from chemical peels they offer a wide range of treatments including but not limited to Aesther Isolaz laser; PRP “Vampire” Facials; Botox & Fillers; Dermaroller Collagen Induction Therapy; Mesotherapy; Cryo-lift; Dermapen and general beauty treatments including eyelash extensions; Caribbean Spray Tans and pride themselves in only using the top products available in order to achieve the maximum results.

If you are unsure about what a chemical peel actually is, have a read of my post over here.

Until recently, I have read and heard a lot about peels but it was still very much an area that I was not familiar with and was a bit horrified after seeing shocking results of peels that have gone wrong in the past but being given the opportunity to go and experience a Dermaceutic peel who are the most well known and renown brands for facial peels and being the preferred market leader for over 30,000 aesthetic dermatology specialists worldwide, there was no doubt in my mind that I had to finally embrace a peel and see exactly what all the fuss is about when it comes to peels and what a better way to start off than with the industries best? I was so excited/nervous before having my peel that I did not think to take before and after photographs to share but no one wants to see me without makeup anyway 😉

Dermaceutic offered me to go and try their Milk Peel Rejuvenation Treatment and don’t worry because I didn’t know what that was either but I eagerly said YES and jumped at the opportunity. In the broad scale of what peels are available saying on a scale of one to three with number three being a super strong concentrated resulting in maximum downtime following; two being a peel of medium strength which will result in a couple of days downtime; and finally number one being a peel that is of the most gentle nature. The Milk Peel on the before mentioned scale to me, in my opinion would be a one-and-half as it is very gentle on the skin and does not cause the skin to react in such ways that only little or in most cases no downtime is necessary following the treatment however it is very active and the results are very effective and even though there is no specific downtime following the peel it is recommended to be extra vigilant about moisturising your skin and ensuring that you adequately protect it from harmful UVA and UVB rays.

The peel in total probably took a maximum of 15 minutes. It started off with cleansing of the face to ensure that the peel is being applied to the top layer of skin so that it can penetrate the skin faster, once my skin was sparkling clean around my lips and the base of my nose my aesthetician applied some Vaseline to protect the areas where I would be most likely to react very quickly to the peel. The peel itself is then applied on a small brush to the forehead, nose, chin and then finally my cheek area – carefully avoiding the delicate eye area. Upon the peel touching my skin I felt a slight crawling sensation – nothing unbearable – but I could tell there was something very active on my skin. My wonderful aesthetician fanned my face but before I knew it (I think it was 2 minutes), it was time to neutralise the peel which was an incredibly soothing and pleasant feeling.

Web image of before & after Dermaceutic Milk Peel

Web image of before & after Dermaceutic Milk Peel

My skin felt slightly sensitive following my treatment but I was offered to use some Oxygenetix Treatment Foundation to hide the slight redness and was advised that this would also help speed up the recovery process of my skin. Although it was a slight shade too dark for me, mixed in with plenty of moisturiser – no one noticed! On the days following my peel my skin was good – some of the trials of the Milk Peel experienced slight flaking of the skin but there was no flakiness for me! Only bright, refreshed looking skin which I religiously moisturised (as instructed) on the days following the peel.

The Milk Peel is designed to restore a healthy shine, increase collagen production and leave the skin natural even looking complexions. I don’t believe before I had the peel that my skin was dull but my pores certainly felt quite clogged and in need of a good extraction (the worst part about facials – right?) but after having the peel my skin feels smoother and I believe it is naturally brighter and more radiant and my pores are more clear albeit still large! On days 5 and 6 following the peel I had a few spots come up (quite rare even though I do have an oily skin) but they were really nothing serious and went as quickly as they arrived. I’m still happy to just wear a bit of BB cream over my moisturiser instead of a full face of foundation all-day everyday. Foundation is great for special occasions and photographs but I’m really going through a less face-cake period in my life and enjoying having a natural and glowing skin that’s not being faked by wonderful NARS Sheer Glow Foundation.

A course of Milk Peels are recommend in similar intervals than what one would expect for facials as having a course of regular Milk Peels would eliminate the need for monthly facials and be replaced by monthly peels. If you are looking to feel pampered then treatment masks can be applied once your face has been neutralised but this is a nice-to-have and not part of the peeling process. I am planning on going for another one in about 6 weeks from my first (depending on my budget) and I am really looking forward to see if a series of these Milk Peels will make an even better improvement to my skin health.

Dermaceutic and Conquest, thank you for helping me love my skin again I am quite sure you are to become one of my skin rituals in the future.